Profile of rqd

Since bolster has been a problem early game, I think we should delay bolster and give 4-men tommies enough tools to help them fight to mid game.

These are my suggestions:

Base side techs: nade, hammer and anvil (available when you reach commpany cp, cost unchanged)
Grenade cost to 80mp 5fu (-5 fu)
Upgrade cost to company cp: 180mp 35fu (+5 fu), auto unlock nade when finished.
So UKF player can choose to buy early nade, or get free nade when teched up.

Platoon cp side techs: weapon rack, AEC and bofors
Weapon rack cost to 150mp 10fu (-5 fu)
AEC and bofors upgrade unchanged, still locks out each other at this moment.
Upgrade cost to Commany cp: 180mp 75fu, auto unlock weapon rack when finished, and unlocks base hammer and anvil upgrade.
The same as before, UKF player can choose to buy early weapon rack or get it for free later. Hammer and anvil available earlier to make more tech choices.

Since the Commpany cp upgrade cost is reduced, we need a "tank authorization" like OKW.
Commany cp grants acess to only 17 pounder, 2nd base howitzer and side techs without "tank authorization".

Commany cp side techs: "tank authorization" "bolster infantry squad" "escalate battle phase"
Tank authorization: 100mp 50fu, allows you to buy m10, centuar, cromwell, firefly, churchill and comet(churchill of all variants and comet still requires side teching).
Bolster: 150mp 30fu (-5 fu), infantry section and sappers can get an addtional squad member for 50mu, cost 1 weapon slot.
Escalate battle phase: 100mp 15fu, requires aec or bofors, unlocks another unit. So you can now get both aec and bofors.

If we make a tech tree like this, it will cost UKF players 35 + 75 + 30 = 140 fuel to reach bolster. By this time, OKW has already got a luch, WER has got vetted pgs on field or upgraded his grens with lmgs. Then we can revert some of the tommie changes (like restore 0.8RA) to make UKF early game balanced.

And what if we want to rush for a tank? UKF will need 35 + 75 + 50 = 160 fuel to tech for tanks, it is 20 fuel more but you get nade and weapon rack bundled, I would say it is not a bad deal.

So how do you guys think? I don't think bolster should be a mandatory upgrade, so I guess with a tech tree like this 4-men tommies with 0.8 starting RA can still be playable.

Go for more practice instead of spamming posts of asking for buffs.

You can try playing usf or ukf and counter ACE with pershing or comet then you will get another answer.

IS balance is rather irrelevant to emplacements.

Grens are weak, need improvements!

But ostheer has the best teamweapons! Use them to support!

Why irrelevant? Balance should be of faction perspective. If you tone down emplacements, which is british style team weapons, you need to tweak their mainline.

Isn't the m20 still dominant in meta play?

Well it completely disappears in larger game modes. M20 loses its timing so now it is a situational unit in 1v1, going straight for stuart seems to be more meta.

Its barrage is still too inaccurate, I would rather trade barrage RoF for smaller scatter, so when you use barrage, it actually hits something.